


What Should I Be?

by Shanoodle



Category: Mother 3
Genre: Family Feels, Gen, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 03:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3835138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shanoodle/pseuds/Shanoodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An incident in Tazmily reduces a young Kumatora to tears. It's up to Ionia and Mixolydia to cheer her up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Should I Be?

Young Kumatora sat against Chupichupyoi Temple’s outer wall, head buried in her knees and clenching something in her hand. Red covered her mouth, tasting faintly of strawberries. Tears stained the sleeves of her hoodie.

“I think she’s over here,” Mixolydia yelled in the distance.

“Kuma?!” Ionia joined. “Don’t move, we’re coming!”

Kumatora’s body shook. Couldn’t they leave her alone for a few minutes? If her parents saw this, they’d think she had gone soft.

 _“Why do you look like that,”_  the village girl’s voice echoed in her mind. Kumatora had called her dress – yellow with poofy shoulders and flowers decorating the hem – cool. But she didn’t even acknowledge the compliment.

 _“Whaddya mean?”_  Kumatora replied.

_“I mean like a boy. You even talk like one, kind of. It’s weird.”_

She stiffened.  _“This is the way I’ve always looked. And talked.”_

The girl looked at her as though she were an alien, muttered something, and went on with her day. Kumatora remained there, however, gazing at the spot the villager had left. Her face heated up. Her vision blurred. People glanced at her and whispered in each other’s ears. Fingers pointing at her. Noises everywhere. Laughter.

And Kumatora ran away.

Did her parents feel the same? Did they want someone like themselves – someone who wore dresses and styled their hair and stood the taste of tea? Did they look at her every time she wrestled with Dragos and wonder how fun it’d be to have a real daughter?

Footsteps thudded toward her now. Kumatora could run again, but with their strange mindpowers, she’d never get far. And even if it were possible, she’d eventually have to head back home and face them.

“Oh, Kuma!” Ionia scooped the kid up in their arms. The Magypsy’s voice trembled. “It’s okay now, sweetie. It’s okay.

Mixolydia scooted closer and studied the child’s face. The next moment, they glanced at something red poking out of one of her hands and pursed their lips.

"What happened in that village?” they said in a tone Kumatora never heard before.

“Missy, please. Now’s not the time.”

“Now is definitely the time. We can’t help her without knowing what caused this.”

Ionia leaned back and looked down at her daughter. “Do you want to tell us what happened? It’s fine if you don’t want to,” she added and glared at Mixolydia before they could open their mouth.

Kumatora stilled herself, wiped her eyes, and told her parents what happened in Tazmily.

By the time she finished, Mixolydia had widened their eyes and started grinding their heel into the grass. In response, Kumatora quickly buried her face into Ionia’s shoulder.

“Calm yourself, Missy,” they said. “You’re scaring her.”

“I can’t help it, Ionia. This is disgusting! Why, I have half a mind to march down to the village myself and have a talk with that girl.”

“You’ll do no such thing. Our daughter needs us here right now. We can discuss this later when you’ve relaxed.”

Somehow, Mixolydia’s eyes widened even further, but the Magypsy didn’t say anything more.

“Listen to me, Kuma,” Ionia murmured into her ear. “You aren’t weird or strange or any of that. Some people simply don’t take to difference very well, but in time, they will. For now, know that no matter what, we love you.”

Kumatora raised her head and looked at her mother’s face. “It’s just that I don’t really know what I should be anymore. Am I a boy or a girl?”

“First of all,” Mixolydia jumped in, “fuck ‘should.’”

“Missy!” Ionia said. “Don’t use that language around her!”

“Second of all,” they continued, “you can be anything you want. If you want to be a boy, be a boy. If you want to be a girl, be a girl. If you want to be anything in between, then do it. Nobody can get in your way, and fuck everyone who does.”

“Missy, please!” Despite their pleas, Ionia’s mouth spread into a small smile.

Kumatora faced Mixolydia and tilted her head. “So, I can still be a girl?”

“Of course you can.” They flashed her a smile. “And you’re an adorable one, by the way.”

Kumatora smiled back. “I think you’re adorabler!”

Ionia planted a kiss on the top of her head. “You feeling better now, dear?”

“Fuck yeah, I am!”

Mixolydia sputtered, doubled over, and burst into laughter.

“See what you did, Missy?!”

“I-I’m sor–” The Magypsy sank to the ground, clutching their chest and continuing to laugh the air out of their lungs. After a moment, Kumatora joined them. Her hands loosened. Ionia took their thumb and index finger and wriggled the lipstick out of her daughter’s grasp.

That day, Kumatora washed her mouth off, got in some practice with her new favorite word, and spent it all with a smile on her face.


End file.
